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Thread ID: 43486 2004-03-16 08:12:00 C/C++ which language to start with? Caesius (3758) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
222968 2004-03-17 20:22:00 Generally the textbooks teach you pointers etc before teaching the OO side of it. PoWa (203)
222969 2004-03-17 20:50:00 >>you don't get into bad habits from doing non-object orientated programming
I use non-object oriented languages... and don't have bad habits (like picking my nose) :D 		Dolby Digital (160)
222970 2004-03-18 00:13:00 > I've been getting very mixed messages from the
> internet about this topic. I know only the basics of
> each of the above languages and I'm looking to delve
> into one of them soon. Has anyone any suggestions
> about the best to learn nowdays,
> advantages/disadvantages of each.
>
> Thanks to anyone with their opinions.


The first question you need to ask yourself is what type of programming are you interested in doing?

If you would like to do "front end" programming, meaning user interfaces, data entry etc... then Delphi or VB are good for that kind of stuff.

If you would like to do "back end" programming, meaning data processing, drivers and the likes then C, C++, Pascal, Perl & PHP to name a few spring to mind.

I do a lot of back end programming with C and my attempts at front end programming are messy and not very usable mainly due to the "stupid brain dead" user factor and the "one button should do it all" mentality.

To be a good programmer dable in both types it will be of grate help if you even undertake a team programming role. 		ugh1 (4204)
222971 2004-03-18 00:28:00 I'm biased. I have been a Pascal enthusiast since I got a copy of Turbo Pascal 3. It came on a single 5¼" floppy. It's nearly as good as Burroughs Extended Algol. ;-)

I must confess that I have been using a little Basic lately --- the PICAxe processors use it and they are lovely useful chips.

The major thing I've got against the C family is the way they will compile a programme without "errors" which will crash or, worse, give wrong results without crashing.A Pascal programme which compiles has a much better chance of being correct as well. The other great advantage of Turbo Pascal is the lightning fast compilation.

You can get TP free (and an early C compiler) from Borland.:D 		Graham L (2)
222972 2004-03-18 01:19:00 > I'm biased. I have been a Pascal enthusiast since I
> got a copy of Turbo Pascal 3. It came on a single
> 5¼" floppy. It's nearly as good as Burroughs
> Extended Algol. ;-)

I like the tight structure of Pascal, but was not impressed with the large amounts of typing needed for all the declearations..

>
> I must confess that I have been using a little Basic
> lately --- the PICAxe processors use it and they are
> lovely useful chips.

Have not looked at the various PIC basic chips, I use the Hi-Tech C compiler for all my PIC products. There is just something about an interpruted language..

>
> The major thing I've got against the C family is the
> way they will compile a programme without "errors"
> which will crash or, worse, give wrong results
> without crashing.A Pascal programme which compiles
> has a much better chance of being correct as well.
> The other great advantage of Turbo Pascal is the
> lightning fast compilation.

Cannot argue there, the flexability and lack of tight structure with the C languge is both a great strength and a major weekeness.
In saying that, most of windows is coded in Pascal and yet it has a large number of data type problems<grin >

>
> You can get TP free (and an early C compiler) from
> Borland.:D 		ugh1 (4204)
222973 2004-03-19 00:03:00 >In saying that, most of windows is coded in Pascal and yet it has a large number of data type problems
I find that very curious because I didn't think MS deloped a pascal language. I know that they used a Borland Pascal product to write an installation program years ago. I think you will find most of Windows is written in a combination of C, C++ and assembly. 		mikebartnz (21)
222974 2004-03-19 00:06:00 >I have been a Pascal enthusiast since I got a copy of Turbo Pascal 3
I started with GWBasic and then moved on to Turbo Pascal 3. I could never go back after that. 		mikebartnz (21)
222975 2004-03-19 01:38:00 >>It's nearly as good as Burroughs Extended Algol.
Well I never did Algol. I was one of "those" application programmers on Burroughs who used Cobol. We started with 2 vdu's for about 6 programmers. 		Dolby Digital (160)
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